


Chicago

by orphan_account



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, F/M, Old Friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-24 05:18:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14948297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: In which the Wheeler family takes a trip to Chicago, and El tags along to visit an old friend.





	Chicago

"Michael, be careful with carrying your suitcase," Mrs. Wheeler said to Mike as he carried a suitcase almost twice his size into their hotel room.

Just moments after he had been warned, the latch came undone and all of his clothes spilled onto the floor.

"Mike! What did I just say?" Mrs. Wheeler shouted.

On the other side of the conjoined room sat El, neatly unpacking her belongings. When she heard that the Wheelers would be staying in Chicago for a few days, she begged Hopper to let her tag along. She claimed that she only wanted to spend some extra time with Mike, but she was really hoping to run into an old friend.

As Mike was packing his clothes back into his suitcase, he felt someone tug at the bottom of his sleeve.

"El?" he said, turning around. "What do you need?"

"I want to go downstairs," she said.

"Okay, for what?" he asked.

El hesitated, trying to make up an excuse.

"The vending machine," she answered.

Mike looked suspicious for a moment. Her hesitation made him believe she was lying.

"Alright, if my mom asks, I'll tell her that's where you are," he agreed, even though he worried about her true intentions.

El shook her head and headed out of the hotel room. She did stop at the vending machine for a moment, but that was not her final destination. After she got herself a quick snack, she snuck past the worker at the front desk, and walked into the night. She didn't know exactly where she was going, she was letting her ability to find people guide her.

Just two and a half blocks from the hotel, she began to recognize her location. She quickly spotted a familiar building, and headed toward it.

"Just a minute," she heard someone say after she knocked on the door.

She spun around for a moment, thinking she heard someone behind her, but she saw no one.

"Jane?" a familiar face said, bringing El's attention away from the phantom she heard behind her. "What are you doing here?"

Standing in the doorway was Kali. El had dreamed of seeing her again ever since she made the decision to return home. Kali did not offer her the life she wanted, but she did offer some good memories.

"I came to visit," El said before adding "just for tonight."

She followed Kali inside, and noticed that the place was vacant.

"Where is everyone else?" she asked.

"Who knows?" Kali answered. "And who cares? They're probably off getting themselves into trouble."

El smiled slightly.

"How are your friends?" Kali continued, after returning a smile.

Before El could answer, there was another knock at the door.

"I must be popular tonight," Kali joked as she stood to answer the door.

Standing at the door was Mike, who looked concerned.

"Mike?" El said, confusing Kali.

"Who is this kid?" Kali asked.

"This is Mike," El answered, then turned to Mike. "How did you find me here?"

"I followed you out of the hotel," he said. "I wondered if this was where you were going."

El had told Mike a little about what had happened when she came to Chicago the first time. She didn't want to share too much because she did not feel comfortable talking about it, but she did mention Kali to him, and how she also has a number branded on her.

"Mike, this is Kali," El said.

The two awkwardly shook hands.

"Why did you follow me?" El asked after everyone had been acquainted. 

"I just wanted to meet Kali," Mike said. "You talk about her more than you think you do."

Kali smiled.

"She talked about her friends a lot while she was here with me," she said. "I imagine you are one of her friends."

"Mike is my best friend," El added.

Mike blushed. He hadn't really taught her what a boyfriend was yet.

"Would you guys like to have dinner with me?" Kali asked, to which Mike and El excitedly accepted.

The three headed out for dinner, and quickly learned to speak to each other as if they had been friends for years.

-

"It was nice to meet you, Mike," Kali said as they finished their dinners.

"Yes, you too," Mike replied.

"And, Jane, I hope you stop by again sometime soon," she said, emphasizing the word soon as if not to be ambiguous.

El wiped her face with a napkin and smiled.

"I will come back whenever I get the chance."

The three said their goodbyes, and Mike and El proceeded to walk back to the hotel - with their fingers interlaced, and El standing close enough for comfort.

Mike grinned to himself. He was happy to have met someone important in El's life. It was always him that introduced people to her, and it was nice to have things the other way around for once, even if it was just once.


End file.
